You're A Cullen Now
by RedHann
Summary: When Bella tells Charlie of her engagement to Edward, he kicks her out. With tears streaming down her face, she walks to the Cullen's house in the rain. Edward and the rest of the Cullens show her that they are her family.Post Eclipse. Full Summary Inside


**A/N: **_My school starts back up tomorrow and I wrote this to help get my mind off it. My high school career is already halfway over so I'm going to be a Junior this year! We dropped my sister off at college last weekend so I no longer have to fight over the car so it is all mine! I just want to get this school year over with… School is just starting and I'm already counting down the days until next Summer Vacation. Only 286 more days _:'(

**Summary: **_When all the Cullens go hunting, Bella decides to tell Charlie about her and Edward's engagement. He doesn't take the news very well and after a fight he kicks her out. Charlie says that she is no longer his daughter. Around Christmas time (when the Cullens were gone in New Moon) Renee and Phil got in a car accident that cost both of them their lives) so she had no other family to turn to. She leaves the house in tears and walks all the way to the Cullen's house in the pouring rain. The Cullens take her in and care for her. They all show Bella that they are her real family. Post Eclipse. OOC on Charlie's part because we all know that he loves Bella and would never disown her. _

**Genre: **_Hurt/Comfort, Family, Angst_

**Disclaimer: **_This is a site called __**Fan**__Fiction. Obviously I do not own any of the Twilight series. I would never intentionally copy someone else's words, ideas or plotline. I expect you all the extend the same courtesy to me. No copyright infringement is intended._

_Enjoy!_

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><p><strong>You're A Cullen Now<strong>

Bella's POV

My hands were shaking. I couldn't get them to stop no matter what I did and eventually gave up on trying to calm down. The book I had been holding was impossible to read when my hands were trembling so badly so I set it down on my nightstand. It's not like I had been paying attention to the words on the pages anyway. I was far to nervous to read.

I was going to tell Charlie about my engagement to Edward. Tonight.

Tonight really seemed like the best time to do it. The Cullens were all out hunting and wouldn't be back until nine pm. That gave me a little over two hours to actually break the news to Charlie.

Saying I was terrified would be putting it lightly. I had never been so scared to talk to anyone before in my life. I was anxious to see his reaction. I knew it wouldn't be good.

_No time like the present, _I thought as I heaved myself to my feet. I didn't want to wait any longer—couldn't wait any longer. Sitting in my bedroom dreading over this would only cause a panic attack. Or I would talk myself out of it. Neither of those were good options.

I gingerly picked up Elizabeth's ring from the my desk and slid it in place on my left ring finger. I imagined Edward's smiling face when I had accepted the ring from him. His beautiful crooked grin calmed my nerves a bit and was enough to untie some of the knots in my stomach.

My hands were still shaking as I turned the doorknob to go down stairs. My heart thudded in my ears with every step I took. The closer I got to the front room—where Charlie was watching television—the faster my heart flew. It was like a hammer pounding on my ribcage.

I took in a deep breath, steadily inhaling through my nose and exhaling out my mouth, before walking into the room.

Charlie was sitting on his reclining chair reading the newspaper when I walked in. The sound coming from the program on television was enough to mask my light footstep. I watched him read for a minute before finally working up the courage to talk.

"Dad?" I lightly called out. Charlie looked up from the paper to stare questionably at me. "Can I talk to you about something?"

"Of course," he said while setting down the paper on the coffee table and hitting the mute button for the television. "What's up?" he asked, putting his whole attention on me.

I gulped down the lump in my throat, getting ready to say the words I had prepared for this conversation. I choked on my nerves and the words were lost in my head. Charlie noticed my hesitation and looked a little confused.

"Bella, what's going o—" he started to say before his eyes trailed down to my left hand as Edward's ring caught the light.

Charlie's face turned all shades of red. His eyes grew wild as he took in the pretty diamond ring and the meaning behind it. He looked absolutely livid when he looked back at my face. I looked down at my feet for what seemed like hours waiting for him to finally say something, anything. When I finally looked back up, I noticed that he was now standing. His glare shook me to the core and I took a step back.

"Bella," Charlie started in a stern and irate tone. "That had better not be what I think it is."

"It's an engageme—" I started before he cut me off.

"Bella, how could you be so _stupid_?" Charlie practically growled. His condescension took me a little off guard. "If you think I will stand by and let you marry that boy—"

"_That boy_," I said, surprising myself with the force behind my words, "is my fiancée. I love him more than anything."

"Are you pregnant?" He asked while his anger continued to escalate.

"No, of course not." He seemed to calm down a little but he was still furious.

"Then why would you want to marry him?" Charlie demanded. He didn't seem like he really wanted an answer but I gave him one anyway.

"Because I love him, Dad," I tried to explain, already knowing it wouldn't help.

"You are _not _going to marry him and that is final," Charlie said, his face still a deep, angry red. "I don't want to hear another word about it."

My temper flared as he said that. _I am eighteen years old and I can make my own choices, _I thought.

"I _will _marry him, Dad, whether you like it or not," I said forcefully to ensure there was no negotiation on the subject. "I'm an adult and I can do as I please."

He opened his mouth, getting ready to yell and then closed it again. He just looked me over for a long minute before speaking.

"Fine," He finally said in a surprisingly calm and low voice. "Marry him then. But If you do, you are no longer my daughter."

"W—what?" I gasped out, not comprehending what he had just said. It didn't make sense to me. _No longer his daughter? _I mustn't heard him right. There was no way he had actually said that. Charlie _is _my dad after all, he wouldn't kick me out. Not over this. Not over anything. He is my family and family sticks together no matter what.

I'd never told the Cullens, but last year at Christmas, when they were still gone, Renee and Phil got in a car accident. Ever since her death, Charlie has been acting a little different. He's not really been the dad I knew him to be. I just never thought it would ever come down to _this_. I was suddenly reminded of when Edward had left me right after my birthday. It wasn't the same thing obviously, but it was the same concept. Someone I loved didn't want me anymore.

"You heard what I said, Bella." Charlie had calmed down a bit and his tone took on an exasperated edge. "If you are going to marry Edward then you are no longer my daughter. I won't stand for it."

"Fine," I said trying to keep the all-consuming hurt out of my voice. "If you want gone then I'll go."

Charlie let out a long, deep and frustrated sigh. He didn't look me in the eyes as he said, "I'll give you five minutes to pack your things. If your not out of here by then, I will consider you to be a trespasser."

I gasped and stood there watching as he left the room. I stared after him for a while before I steeled my resolve and quickly walked to my room to grab my things.

I felt the tears uncontrollably stream down my face as I packed the tote bag Alice had given me full of my memories. I grabbed all the pictures off my desk and the CD Edward had given me for my birthday. When I picked up the picture of Renee from the top of the book shelf, I held it to my chest for a few seconds. I uselessly scrubbed away the tears with the back of my hand, already knowing that many more would fall anyway. In my free hand I carefully held up the framed picture of Edward. I stared at it for a second taking in his smile and the bright, cheerful glimmer in his beautiful topaz eyes. Walking out Charlie's door and out of his life would be hard—one of the hardest things I would do in my entire life—but I knew in my heart Edward was worth it. _He is my forever._

I carefully placed both pictures in the bag before putting three of my favorite books in with them. The tote bag was still light and had plenty of room for some clothes. I grabbed my favorite shirts from my dresser drawers. They consisted of the thin white shirt with the eyelet lace that Renee had loved and the royal blue blouse Edward once complimented me on. I pulled on my favorite pair of tennis shoes and took one long last look around my room.

I had so many memories that circled around this room. It was still painted the light blue my mom had done when she decorated the room as my nursery when I was young. I'd taken my first steps in this room. I remembered the week I'd spent here when I was thirteen and ran away from Phoenix after a bad fight with Renee. The first night I had spent here when I'd moved to Forks permanently last year. The first night that Edward had stayed over—at least the first time I'd actually known he was here. I leaned against the wall and let the tears roll silently down my cheeks. After a couple deep breaths I opened the door and tentatively made my way down the stairs.

The key to my beloved truck was not on the key hook where I had hung it this afternoon. It was apparently to me that Charlie didn't want me to have the truck. _That's okay, he was the one who paid for it in the first place. _

I didn't know where Charlie was at but I knew he was still in the house because his police cruiser was still parked in the driveway. I didn't want to go look for him. I knew that if I confronted him now I would only break out into another burst of tears and beg to stay. _If he wants me gone, then I will go, _I thought as I walked out the front door. And just like that I lost him just like I had lost Renee, no _goodbye _and no _I love you_.

It was pouring down hard and I was soaked to the bone in mere minutes. I trailed my hand down the side of the truck as I walked past it, lightly setting my hand on the back fender. I slowly made my way down to the end of the driveway before turning around and taking one last look at the house. I sucked in a large gulp of air and turned my back on my childhood home to walk down the street.

The tears that were constantly streaming down my face were now masked completely by the rain and darkness of the night. The saltwater tears mixed with the cool rainwater as they streamed down my face. I passes a few people on the streets when I got into the main part of the town. All of them wore raincoats and had umbrellas over their heads, their eyes trained to the ground. No one even noticed me.

It didn't take me long to figure out where my feet were taking me. After nearly two hours of walking, I turned down the familiar twisting and winding road that lead to the Cullen's mansion.

I pulled the strap of the tote bag closer to my chest as I walked. It took about fifteen minutes until the clearing came into view. I stopped to stare at the house. It was big and empty. That thought alone was enough to send a chill up my spine and for even more tears to torrent down my face. I slowly walked to the front porch and sat down on the steps. The small roof that extended over the porch wasn't covering over the steps I was on. I sat there as the rain continued to fall. Sitting there, I noticed that my teeth were chattering together and I was shaking from the cold. I absentmindedly wondered how long that had been going on for. I gave up trying to remember when I decided that I didn't really care. I was far from caring about little stuff like that. I wondered absently if Alice had seen me in a vision yet. I wonder what Edward would think if he saw me like this.

In the back of my mind I knew that I should go up on the porch to escape the rain and sit on one of the cushiony chairs Esme had put out. I knew that I would most likely get a cold from being out in the rain like this. I knew Edward wouldn't like that I wasn't taking care of myself. I knew all of this yet I was too exhausted emotionally and physically to actually get up and out of the rain.

I don't know how long I had sat in there in the rain for—maybe half an hour or so—but soon enough they found me.

"Bella?" Edward's alarmed velvety voice rang out from the darkness as he ran to me. "Bella, Bella, are you okay?" He asked, kneeling down on the step in front of me and placing his hands on either side of my face.

"E-E-Ed-ward?" I stuttered out quietly through chattering teeth.

"Shhh, love. It's okay," he said in a pained voice while circling his arms around me and pulling me to his chest.

Over his broad shoulder I could see the rest of the Cullens standing frozen in the yard. They all had shocked looks on their faces, their eyes wide as they took in my state. Even Alice looked surprised to see me like this. She mustn't have seen a vision of this happening. Above all, they looked concerned. All their faces—even Rosalie's—held so much worry it was almost painful to look at. They all looked alarmed to see me like this, sad even. I looked away quickly, not wanting to think about how pathetic I must look right now.

Carlisle was the first to snap out of it as he came over to us.

"Son," he said while placing his hand on Edward's shoulder. "You should take her inside and out of the rain. I don't know how long she's been out here but she needs to get warmed up." Carlisle looked me over with that same half concerned, half pitying look.

Edward kept one arm wrapped around my body as he used the other to curl around my legs. He lifted me effortlessly and in less than a second we were inside. The rest of the Cullens quickly followed us in and I noticed that Alice was carrying my bag.

"Bella, sweetheart, what happened?" Edward asked as he pulled away slightly to look at my face. His face held deep concern for me as he looked me over.

I tried to answer him but the sad, worried look in his topaz eyes made a sob rise in my throat. I tired my hardest to choke it down but it came full force. The sobs racked my body as Edward pulled me closer to himself. He sat us down on the couch and cradled me in his lap. Gently yet firmly, he held my head to his chest and used his free hand to slowly rub up and down my back. We sat there for I don't know how long with him just rocking me back and forth.

I felt a hand softly placed on my back and looked up to see who it was.

"Bella?" Carlisle said softly with a kind yet concerned look on his face. "You should go take a nice, hot shower to get warmed up before you get sick." His voice was loving and fatherly and I couldn't help but nod my head yes.

"I'll go get you something dry and warm to wear," Alice said, dancing up the stairs.

"Come on, angel," Edward murmured softly as he easily stood with me in his arms. In less than a few seconds, we were on the third level of the house in Edward's bathroom. He set me down on the counter and went to go turn on the water to let it heat up. After helping me out of my waterlogged jacket, he untied my shoes and took off my socks soon after.

"Will you be alright to do the rest?" Edward asked after he was done making sure the water was a good temperature.

"Yes," I said, clearing my throat.

He didn't look convinced but after a few minutes he left, telling me he would be in his room if I needed him for anything. I changed out of the wet clothes as quickly as I could manage with them clinging to me.

Discarding Edward's carefully calculated temperature choice, I turned the heat on as high as it would go. The scalding hot water stung harshly against my cold skin like a thousand needles poking me all over. My skin turned a deep crimson and the air was thick with steam. When I was rinsing the shampoo from my hair, I heard the door faintly creek as it was opened. Peering my head around the side of the curtain, I saw Edward placing a fluffy towel and a small pile of neatly folded clothes on the counter. His back was to me and I turned my attention over to washing my hair before he saw me.

I quickly finished and dried off. The big, blue, plush towel Edward had laid out for me was toasty warm, as were the clothes he had given me. It was evident that he had put them in the dryer so they would be nice and warm for me. I smiled slightly in appreciation as I pulled on the oversized sweatpants and plain t-shirt. I was glad that Alice wasn't going to force me into something a little more up to her standards, as she normally would have.

After dressing, I went back out the door that lead to Edward's room to see him laying on the king bed waiting for me. He got up and quickly came to me, wrapping me up in his arms.

"Are you ready to tell us all what happened?" Edward asked after we stood there for a few minutes just holding each other.

I slowly exhaled the breath I didn't even realize I had been holding and nodded my head. He swooped me up in his strong arms and carried me downstairs to the living room. The Cullens were all there, now dressed in dry clothes as well. Edward set me down on the couch and took a seat right next to me so our sides were pressed together. Not that I minded, I loved the closeness.

The rest of the Cullens took seats around the room that were facing us, Emmett and Jasper pulled the reclining chairs over to where the rest of us were seated so they wouldn't be so far away. They all put their undivided attention on me and it caused heat to rise to my face. I looked down to where I was wringing my hands on my lap.

"Whenever you're ready, Bella," Carlisle said softly when he noticed my hesitance.

I looked up and gave him a soft smile before telling them all about what had happened. I explained Charlie's reaction to the engagement. I told them about the ultimatum he had given me to either stay and be his daughter or go and be Edward's wife.

"Oh, Hell no," Emmett's booming voice startled me. "He's your father, he can't just kick you out. That's not fair making you choose like that!" To say I was surprised at his outburst would have been an understatement. I'd never seen Emmett get mad, at least not like this. He looked outraged at the though of Charlie telling me to go. Jasper soon clamed him down a bit, enough to make him sit back in his seat and listen to the rest of my story.

Somewhere in the middle of my story I had started to cry again and Edward pulled me onto his lap. Esme had left the room for less than a second and came back with a box of Kleenex that she set on the table next to the couch. I thanked her before grabbing one and wiping my eyes. Edward pulled me closer to his chest and kissed my hair.

I looked around the room at the Cullens, seeing horror and sadness etched on their faces. Emmett still looked mad, and now so did Rosalie. For once, though, her anger wasn't directed at me. Esme was holding onto Carlisle's hand, looking as if at any moment she might burst into tearless sobs.

"You gave up your father to be with me?" Edward said in a pained voice that almost sounded disgusted. I turned quickly to see his face. It was apparent that the disgust wasn't intended for me, but directed at himself.

"I'd give up anything for you," I murmured softly and kissed his cheek. "_You are my forever_," I recited the words I had been thinking earlier as I had packed my things.

My words did little to sooth him but he held he harder to him and kissed my forehead.

"If you want," Esme's loving and motherly voice broke the silence, "you can call your mom. You are always welcome to use our phone."

A fresh stream of tears quickly made their way down my face at the mention of my mom.

"Shhh, Bella, love," Edward said softly as he wiped away my tears. "What's wrong now?" I bit my lip to stop the sobs from coming and swallowed the lump in my throat. I exhaled slowly and looked around the room one more time before devolving into another heartbreaking story.

"Around Christmas time after you… left last September, Renee and Phil got into an accident," I stared. I heard a gasp that was unmistakingly female but I didn't look up to see who it was from. "A drunk diver had ran a red light and hit the driver's side of their car going almost seventy miles an hour. Phil, who had been driving was killed on spot." When I said this Edward held me tighter and began to rub soothing circles on my hand.

"Renee," I paused for a second to bite back the sobs threatening to break out from my chest. Even saying her name was enough to break me down and rip my heart open. I took a deep breath and tried again. "Renee was rushed to the hospital. By the time Charlie and I had made it to Jacksonville, she was… she was… dead." My voice broke on the last word and I could no longer ward off the sobs and they shook me. This time several of the Cullen's gasped but I was too busy crying to care. Edward held me impossible closer and rocked me a bit.

"The worst part," I continued through the tears in a shaky voice. "I think the worst part is that I never got to say goodbye." My voice broke miserably and a fresh wave of tears tumbled down my face. "Renee and Phil had come all the way out to Forks to see me for Christmas. I completely shut them out. I was still having a hard time coping with you all being gone"—Edward tensed as I said this—"and I _just shut her out_."

I was disgusted with myself and they way I had acted. She was my _mom_. I had no right to treat her the way I had. If I could take it all back and get a do over, I would change everything about that last visit.

"When they left I didn't even say goodbye," It came out as a strangled cry. "I didn't get the chance to tell her I love her. The last thing I said to her was mean and rude. And that was the last memory I left her with." My sobs had become so strong they were almost violent. My shoulders shook and my entire body shuttered with the force. Edward kissed the top of my head and just held me. I turned so I could bury my head in his chest and revel in the protection he gave me.

"Oh, Bella, your mom knew you loved her," Esme said in a comforting voice as she crouched down in front on me and rubbed my back. "And she loved you, don't ever doubt that."

My eyes swept around the room and saw the other Cullens looking more saddened than I had ever seen any of them. Alice was now curled up on Jasper's lap, clinging to him as she sobbed into his chest. Emmett and Rosalie were in a tight embrace, just holding each other and looking my way. All of their beautiful faces were morphed and twisted in sorrow.

I tired to wipe away my tears but they still fell down my face. Esme soon enveloped me into her arms and held me for a moment. It almost reminded me of Renee. Though, with Esme the hug seemed more motherly in a way. Renee had always been more of a best friend rather than a mother. Esme had a way of making me feel like a part of her family. I felt safe with her, just like I do with Edward and the rest of the Cullens.

"Bella, I'm sorry," Alice said in a broken voice. "I should have seen this. I should have seen all of this and found a way to prevent it. I'm so, so sorry."

"Alice, don't think like that," I said, my voice not holding any of the severity I'd meant for it to. "What's done is done. You can't change the past so don't worry about it. It's not your job to look after me all the time."

Alice quickly jumped up and ran over to me. She and I hugged for what seemed like centuries. After a while, my tears dried and everyone began to calm down. I once again looked around the room to gauge the emotions of the other Cullens. The all gave me slight smiles—even Rosalie. I smiled back and blushed a little from the attention.

"Now there's the blushing Bella we all know and love!" Emmett boomed loudly which caused us all to laugh. He gave me a large toothy grin before ruffling my hair.

I hadn't even noticed that Carlisle and Esme had left the room until I saw them standing in the doorway. When they caught my attention they both walked over to where I was sitting on the couch with Edward. They both had huge smiles on their faces so I knew whatever it was they needed to tell me, it wasn't going to be bad.

"Bella," Esme started to say as she and Carlisle sat down next to me. "We have something for you."

I head Alice gasp and looked over to her to see her face light up with the biggest grin I think I'd ever seen. I looked back at Carlisle and Esme to see a box being handed my way. It was a small, black, velvet box meant to hold jewelry. I gingerly took the box from her hand and looked at the two of them with questioning eyes.

"We were going to wait and give this to you as a wedding gift," Carlisle explained when he saw my confusion. "But we decided that there was no better time then now to give it to you."

I looked back down at the box in my hand and then looked to Edward. He smiled encouragingly and kissed my cheek. I slowly took the lid in my right hand and lifted it up. Inside the box was a necklace. But it wasn't just any necklace. On the thin silver chain was the Cullen Crest. I gasped and ran the tip of my finger along the beautiful metal design in awe.

"Bella," Carlisle started to say as he took the necklace from the box and fastened it around my neck. "We just want you to know that you have a family in us. You became a daughter to Esme and me when Edward introduced us. Alice, Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie think of you as a sister. You are a big part of this family, don't ever doubt that. We will never desert you. We will always be here for you no matter what." He looked in my eyes then and said, "We love you. Don't ever forget that." He kissed my head and hugged me to him for a minute.

One by one, the rest of the Cullen's got their chance to ogle the necklace that now hung proudly from my neck. They all looked deliriously happy, though I think Jasper may have had something to do with that. He was probably just relieved that the sad emotions were now gone.

"You _do _know what this means, right, Bella?" Emmett asked in his exuberant voice.

"What?"

"You're a Cullen now, baby." His huge smile filled me with so much joy I thought I would burst.

I looked around the room at the people who would forever be my family. I was wrong so many times before. Phoenix wasn't my home. Forks wasn't my home either, as I had come to believe. Even this big pearly white mansion was not my home. My home was with these people. The people who cared for me more than anyone ever had. They were always there for me and I know now that they always will be. _They _are my forever. Just like Emmett pointed out, _I am a Cullen now_.

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><p><strong>AN: **_Hit? Miss? _What do you think? I hoped you liked it and please leave a review!

If you would like to see this story in one of the Cullen's POV's just tell me in a review! I would be happy to write this from someone else's perspective.

"_**My Rock" Readers: **_I have not given up on that story and I have actually been working really hard on it. I have about seven chapters done and I will start posting again when it has been mostly written. Sorry for the wait but I will finish it!


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